Vegan Christmas Pinwheel Cookies
by Marly McMillen
Festive and fun, these Vegan Christmas Pinwheel Cookies are easy to make, delicious, and perfect for your holiday cookie platter or gift-giving!
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Nothing says the holidays quite like a colorful tray of cookies, and these Vegan Christmas Pinwheel Cookies bring the cheer in every bite! Whether you’re a seasoned baker or a first-timer, this recipe is as delightful to make as it is to eat. With vibrant red, green, and white swirls, these cookies are a showstopper for any holiday gathering.
Ingredients & Substitutions
You can find the full printable recipe, including ingredient quantities, below. But first, here are some explanations of ingredients and steps to help you make this recipe perfect every time.
- Vegan Butter: Use softened vegan butter for the perfect creamy texture. Brands like Earth Balance or Miyoko’s work well.
- Sugar: Use a mixture of granulated and powdered sugar to ensure sweetness and a tender crumb.
- Extract: Use a combination of vanilla and almond extract for the best Christmas Cookie flavor!
- Plant-Based Yogurt: Acts as a binder, keeping the dough soft and pliable. Soy or coconut yogurt works great.
- Food Coloring Gel: Use gel-based colors for vibrant results without affecting the dough’s consistency.
- Christmas Sprinkles: Adds festive flair!
What Makes This Recipe Shine?
- Festive Appeal: The bright red and green swirls scream holiday cheer and add a pop of color to any cookie tray.
- Kid-Friendly Fun: Perfect for little helpers to join in on the dough rolling and sprinkle decorating.
- Dairy-Free and Delicious: Made with plant-based ingredients, these cookies are a treat everyone can enjoy.
Making pinwheel cookies might seem a bit daunting at first, but trust me—once you roll that dough into a log, it’s smooth sailing from there! Here’s a simplified guide to the process. For full details, be sure to check out the recipe card below.
Step One: Make the Dough
Start by creaming butter and sugar together. Why is this step so important? Aerating the butter creates a lighter cookie, and incorporating the sugar here helps it blend seamlessly into the dough. Think of this step as the foundation for perfectly tender cookies.
Step Two: Color the Dough
Divide the finished dough into three equal portions.
- Plain Layer: Shape one portion into a rectangular disc, wrap it in plastic, and refrigerate.
- Green Layer: Add green food coloring to another portion, mix until evenly distributed, then shape it into a rectangle, wrap, and chill.
- Red Layer: Repeat the process with red food coloring for the final portion of dough.
Quick Tip: Short on time? Pop the dough into the freezer for 15 minutes instead of refrigerating for 30.
Step Three: Roll the Dough
Once the dough is chilled, roll each color into a rectangle about 6″ x 12″. Rolling the dough between parchment paper prevents sticking and avoids adding extra flour, which keeps the cookies soft.
Stack the layers, placing the plain dough between the red and green layers. Starting from the long side closest to you, gently roll the layers into a log. Use the parchment paper to help guide the roll, taking care to avoid cracks. Finish with the seam side down.
Step Four: Adding Sprinkles and Chill
For a festive touch, brush the outside of the log with a mixture of water and corn syrup. Spread sprinkles on parchment paper and roll the log to coat evenly, or press the sprinkles by hand.
Wrap the sprinkle-coated log in plastic wrap, place it on a tray, and chill for at least 30 minutes—or up to overnight for the best results.
Step Five: Slice and Bake
When ready to bake, preheat your oven. Slice the log into rounds about ⅓ inch thick—thin enough to bake evenly but thick enough to hold their shape.
Arrange the slices on a parchment-lined baking sheet, leaving at least 2 inches between each cookie to account for spreading. Bake for 8–10 minutes, keeping a close eye on them.
Pro Tip: Remove the cookies while they’re still slightly soft. Let them rest on the hot baking sheet for 5 minutes to firm up before transferring to a cooling rack. This ensures perfectly tender, yet sturdy cookies.
And there you have it—beautiful, festive pinwheel cookies that are as fun to make as they are to eat!
Perfecting the Pinwheel: Testing Notes
Every great recipe is a product of trial and adjustment, and these cookies are no exception. Here’s what we learned during testing to make sure your pinwheel cookies turn out just right:
- Baking Time Tweaks: Our first batch baked a little too long, resulting in crisp cookies that lacked the soft, tender center we were aiming for. Reducing the baking time to 8–10 minutes and letting the cookies cool on the hot pan for 5 minutes achieved the perfect balance—firm edges with a soft, melt-in-your-mouth interior.
- Dough Chilling Tips: Skipping the chill time made the dough too sticky to roll and caused the cookies to spread unevenly in the oven. We found that chilling the dough for at least 30 minutes (or a quick 15-minute freeze) worked wonders for both rolling and baking consistency.
- Layer Rolling Insights: Rolling the dough between parchment paper saved the day! It kept the layers smooth and avoided adding extra flour, which can make the cookies dry. A gentle hand while rolling the log also prevented cracks in the swirl pattern.
- Sprinkle Success: Using a water and corn syrup mixture ensured the sprinkles adhered perfectly without making the dough sticky or overly wet.
These tweaks and techniques were game-changers, ensuring the cookies weren’t just visually stunning but absolutely delicious too.
Storage Tips
Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week. For longer storage, freeze the baked cookies in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.
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If you love this Christmas Pinwheel Cookie recipe, here are more holiday cookie favorites to try:
Here are even more Vegan Christmas Cookie Recipes that will complete your holiday baking goals!
Ingredients
Cookie Dough:
- ¾ cup vegan butter softened
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- ¼ cup plant-based yogurt (see notes)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Coloring & Decoration:
- green food coloring gel
- red food coloring gel
- 2 teaspoons corn syrup
- ½ teaspoon water
- ¼ cup Christmas sprinkles
Instructions
Prepare the Dough
- In a large mixing bowl, cream together the vegan butter and sugars until light and fluffy, using a hand mixer or stand mixer.
- Add the yogurt and extracts, mixing until well combined.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing until a smooth dough forms.
Divide and Color the Dough
- Divide the dough into three equal portions. Leave one portion plain (white).
- Add a few drops of green food coloring to the second portion, kneading gently until the color is evenly distributed.
- Repeat with red food coloring for the third portion.
- Roll each separate color of dough into a ball, cover with plastic wrap and freeze it for 20 minutes or place it in the fridge for up to an hour to allow the dough to firm up before rolling it.
Assemble the Pinwheel
- Roll out each portion of the chilled dough separately between two sheets of parchment paper to form rectangles approximately the same size (about 9×6 inches).
- Layer the dough: place the green dough on top of the white dough, and the red dough on top of the green dough. Gently press the layers together with a rolling pin.
- Starting from the long edge, tightly roll the dough into a log. Use the parchment paper to help guide the roll.
Add Sprinkles & Chill
- Combine corn syrup and water in a small bowl and stir to combine. Spread the Christmas sprinkles on a clean sheet of parchment paper.
- Brush the roll with the corn syrup mixture. Carefully roll the log in the sprinkles, pressing gently so they adhere.
- Wrap the dough log in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to overnight until firm.
Bake the Cookies
- After the dough has chilled, preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Slice the chilled dough. Slices a little thicker than ¼" and less thick than ½" are best. Place the slices on the prepared baking sheet about 2" apart.
- Bake for 8 – 10 minutes, or until the edges are just beginning to set (the cookies will not brown much). Resist the urge to bake longer. The cookies may in fact appear soft when you remove them from the oven. Let them set on the pan for at least 5 minutes to allow residual baking to help them firm up. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Storage
- Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days or in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. They can be frozen in appropriate freezer-safe containers for up to 2 months.
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Notes
Changing Dough Colors:
You can change up the colors of your dough to match whatever you’re celebrating. I recommend keeping at least one of the layers plain or very lightly colored to help the finished cookies look amazing.The nutrition information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator and should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
About the Author
Hi! I’m Marly McMillen. I’m the founding editor, author, recipe developer, vegan home chef, and food stylist behind Namely Marly. I’m so grateful to you and every member of my audience for your support and dedication. More about Namely Marly ›
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